


What Comes Next?

by C_l_o_v_e



Series: How many times can I say I'm sorry (how many times can I say goodbye) [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Execution, Injury, Manberg, Manberg Festival, No respawns, Not Beta Read, Pogtopia, Revolution, Techno does the best he can with what he was given, Villain Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27120439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_l_o_v_e/pseuds/C_l_o_v_e
Summary: Techno knows he has his back against the wall now. Schlatt knows it too. Dozens of eyes are watching him and he’s got no choice but to listen to the president. There will be no new message from Wilbur. This is it.Or, the festival from Techno's point of view
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: How many times can I say I'm sorry (how many times can I say goodbye) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987600
Comments: 6
Kudos: 124





	What Comes Next?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvenMadderHatter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvenMadderHatter/gifts).



There’s a reason Techno has spent weeks slaving away at the mines and gathering resources in the Nether. He doesn’t expect to walk out of the festival unharmed. To be honest, Techno’s not even sure why he was invited in the first place. Sure, he’s known Schlatt for a long time and has done a few jobs for him here and there but Schlatt represents the government. At this point, even Schlatt knows that Techno’s place is with his brothers. His place with anyone who’s willing to initiate anarchy. So, it’s reasonable enough for him to suspect a trap, one where he might not make it out alive. Either way, at the end of the day, he’s only going because he doesn’t know the enemy as well as he’d like to. 

He arrives at the festival in style, with a trident that grants him the power of flight. Techno feels a bit out of place with all the Manbergians, and his social anxiety certainly doesn’t help in these kinds of situations but he manages. He partakes in the pre-festival activities and gets to know the Manbergians under Schlatt’s reign. As he jokes about spilling state secrets and mocks Fundy for trying to drown him, he makes note of who would pose the biggest threat in battle. Pogtopia may have allies and spies lurking around but Techno still doesn’t know how the enemy thinks, and he doesn’t like not knowing. 

The pre-speech activities are nice and all but he can’t help but feel that something is wrong. He shrugs it off and chalks it up to nerves, partying is not his strong suit after all. He attends the official ceremony and stays mindful that any second now, he’ll need to flee and get as far away from Manberg as possible. Wilbur’s spent the last few days planting dynamite underneath the country and it’s all ready to blow at the single push of a button. He absent-mindedly listens to Tubbo’s speech about festivities and the Schlatt propaganda. It’s nothing he hasn’t heard before so he zones out, fiddling with the pink braid hanging over his shoulder. Techno is in the middle of taking mental notes about the size and strength of Manberg when he senses the sudden change in mood. The sudden animosity. 

He starts paying attention when Schlatt starts chuckling in the middle of said speech. He starts paying attention when both leaders encase Tubbo in a concrete prison. He starts paying attention when Schlatt begins his accusations, derailing the pre-planned speech. His mind is whirling, thinking of the thousands of contingency plans he made in his bunker. Not one of them considered Tubbo being found out as a double agent. 

_Please Schlatt, I can’t get out. I don’t know what’s going on._

Tubbo’s pleas go unnoticed by Schlatt and he throws accusation after accusation at Tubbo. “I know what you’ve been up to Tubbo,” the president croons, lecturing the child behind bars. 

_What are you talking about? What have I been up to?_

Techno can distantly hear Nikki whimper in the background and he knows that if he turned around right now, she’d be tearing up. The audience is deathly silent. Everyone knows where Schlatt’s going with this. Everyone knows why Techno is ever called. 

“You’ve been conspiring with those, those _idiots_. Those tyrants that we kicked out of this server, out of this great country!” 

_I don’t-_

“Tubbo, I don’t know if you know this but, well, treason isn’t exactly a respectable thing around here. It all makes sense,” the goat horned man exclaims, “the tunnels, your absences from all these great events, they all add up.” 

“You know what we do to traitors, Tubbo? Nothing good.” Schlatt turns away from the cell and flashes a charming grin back at the audience. “Hey Technoblade, wanna come up here for a second?”

Techno’s just following his intuition, accompanied by the strategies he and Wilbur had gone over. That’s why, when Schlatt asks him to step up onto the stage, he does, but not before hesitating. The communicator is tucked away in his pocket and he’s sure that any second now, it’ll vibrate, signaling a message from Wilbur. Techno stalls, waiting for the indication that a new plan is underway. No new message arrives. He reasons that Wilbur and Tommy are just too busy to send a message right now. All he can do is give them enough time to come up with a new plan. 

He makes his way onto the stage and sees a flash of purple and brown by one of the grand buildings nearby. Relief washes over him and he’s confident he won’t have to pull any triggers today. All he needs to do is stall for time. He glances at the offensive yellow cell and sees Tubbo, so vulnerable and so alone. He’s crouched and tucked away in the corner of his yellow prison. His suit, once pristine and crisp, is now covered in bits of yellow concrete powder and looks too big on him. Techno is once again given the grim reminder that this is just a child. A child who has just spent weeks building and planning their execution. Tubbo has never looked so small. 

Quackity builds a small platform just for him so he has the perfect shot, all while grinning and cracking up at jokes alongside the president. As if this was all a joke. As if a child wasn’t about to be publicly executed in front of his family and friends. “You can stand here Techno, look em straight in the eyes.” 

Schlatt paces back and forth across the stage, sighing all the while as he makes his speech, black dress shoes echoing in the silence of the crowd. “Tubbo, as the enemy of the state, and as a perpetrator to these awful, awful people…” Schlatt stops, turns around, and runs his hand through his hair. “Techno, if you would be so kind.” 

Techno’s voice comes out more uncertain than he wants it to be. “What are you asking of me Schlatt.” Techno risks a glance back at the building where he last saw the blurs. They’re still there, but they aren’t moving. **_Stall. Stall for as long as you can._ **

Schlatt gestures towards the boy in the cage. “Please, if you would be so kind. Take care of him.”

Techno pauses, drawing out his sentences carefully. The communicator hasn’t made a sound. “What’re you asking, Mr. President? You want me to get him some breakfast? Maybe some dinner? Get him a nice coat?” 

Schlatt’s eye twitches and he takes a deep breath before continuing. “Maybe,” he says with his gritted teeth, “maybe show him the nice five-course dinner.”

Techno hears a buzz but it’s not coming from his pocket. Tubbo silently reads the message and he sees the worst possible thing. He sees the look of acceptance on Tubbo’s face. It’s the face of a man who knows he’s about to die. “Alright Tubbo, let’s go to that restaurant over there, lemme just take you right now.” 

_I’m not hungry._

“You are very hungry Tubbo we need to go now.”

“We’re running out of time here Technoblade,” Schlatt turns around with a dramatic flourish and stares at him, “you know I only call you in for special favors. I need you to take him out.”

“To dinner?”

“No, not to dinner! You’re going to kill him right now. You’re going to murder him right on this fucking stage!” Schlatt looks at him with wild eyes, the same gaze he’s seen in Wilbur. The look of madness. “And you’re going to make it hurt.”

The spell of silence over the audience breaks and roars of protests begin to arise. Not everyone might support Pogtopia and the rebellion, but everyone made room in their heart for Tubbo. Nikki pleads for mercy while the royal bishop himself tries to argue against a public execution during a festival that was planned by the condemned. 

Quackity hesitates for a moment, the voices of reason reaching him. He turns to Schlatt and fiddles with the ax in his hands. “Wait Schlatt, what are you talking about? Isn’t this enough? We have him imprisoned. Surely we can keep him here for a while. Surely this doesn’t call for, well, an execution.”

Schlatt turns around and refuses to meet anyone’s gaze. “I’d rather rule alone than with you.” He gives a single nod, and Techno feels himself stiffen in protest. “Do it.” 

Techno knows he has his back against the wall now. Schlatt knows it too. Dozens of eyes are watching him and he’s got no choice but to listen to the president. There will be no new message from Wilbur. This is it.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, all while loading the firework into the crossbow. He doesn’t look Tubbo in the eyes. “I’ll make it as quick and colorful as possible. Tubbo I’m sorry.” 

Techno points the firework directly at Tubbo’s heart and wavers. He still refuses to meet his gaze. 

_Techno, look at me._

Tubbo lets out a soft smile, tears still running down his face. 

_They’ll make me a martyr._

His hand steadies and pulls the trigger. Tubbo’s cries are drowned out by the celebratory bursts of blue, white, and red. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is my first posted work and I'm already behind ;-; I'm a bit late with the festival shenanigans. 
> 
> The title is a little Hamilton easter egg for those who are stuck listening to the album on replay like me.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and props to my best bud EvenMadderHatter for motivating me to post something that wasn't dumb on my account (I'm sorry for not letting you see it earlier, I wanted it to be a surprise (but in hindsight that was probably a bad idea since no one else can help me with my horrible grammar)). 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated :D


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